Questions on the new planner

Brille

I'm not quite sure how to use the new planner. Since I can't set a specific day date in advance in Skyatlas, I assume that a plan can only be used on the same evening, right? Can I also create an observation plan for a few days in advance, or how can I update a created plan if the sky is only clear a few days later?

Support@Seestar

Brille You can create a local plan without connecting to the S50. You can set a schedule in advance (I recommend not exceeding two days, although you can set it for longer due to unstable weather conditions).

Once you connect to the device, Seestar will automatically start the shoot at the scheduled time. You can check the shooting status by clicking the list. After the shoot is completed, if you want to continue shooting, you can create a second plan while setting up the first one (but make sure the times do not overlap).

LA3QMA

Was thinking the same. Since you can save several plans i think if you open them up another day/time the objects you want to image i.e a few days later just needs to be realign regarding the start/stop time to get the best position for each object.

starnet59

SkyAtlas has no concept of date and time, what you see is how the sky looks like at the present moment. I assume the plan stores targets in RA/Dec coordinates to be used at a particular time of the night, it could be tonight, tomorrow night or any other night. Every night the actual Alt/Az coordinates will change by about one degree, so a plan made for tonight will most likely work for the next few nights. Will it still work in a month? Maybe. Will it work in 6 months? Definitely not.

It is your responsibility to make sure that the targets you selected are actually visible for the location, time and date you intend to run the plan. Stellarium is your best friend.

Is it ideal? Not really. Is it better than what we had until now, yes, 1000x so, and I cannot wait for the next clear night to test this new feature and have the S50 take images while I sleep. I tend to complain a lot here, but if this actually works I will be really happy.

KAx165v3

Following

LA3QMA

@Brille I made a plan 17.01.25 for Jupiter and M33 and noted the RA/Dec. Opened the saved plan today and check the RA/Dec and its then recalculated for 19.01.25. So even if you cannot i.e make a plan for the Seestar to start imaging a specific date from today's date you can restart it another day as long as you check that its not below the horizon. So maybe a later upgrade you can specify a date for when it should start the plan.

Brille

Support@Seestar
I tried the planner for the first time last night (the first clear one in weeks), and I'm thrilled! It ensures me a good night's sleep! Everything works perfect and as expected! Thanks ZWO!

Support@Seestar

Brille